Angels With Filthy Souls
by xox-hattii-xox
Summary: Bellatrix Black was a young girl when she first met Tom Marvolo Riddle...


Bellatrix was eleven when she first met Tom Riddle.

She sat in the Slytherin Common Room with Adriana Nott and Alistair Rosier, all three Slytherins looking over a page full of Bellatrix's cursive pen-man ship dictating the draught of living death, when a shadow fell over the parchment.

Her head still bent, she looked through her thick lashes and hooded eyelids to the figure standing in front of the three first years.

"yes?" she asked, disdain oozing from her voice as she sat back into the intimidating black armchair she was sitting in, her arms lying on either arm-rest.

"come now Bella, that's no way to treat your brother-in-law-to-be." Lucius Malfoy stood with a satisfied smirk on his face as he regarded the small girl with midnight hair.

Bellatrix ran a blood red tongue over her lips as she matched his smirk. "send my regards to Narcissa, would you Lucius?" she spoke with her voice throaty and hushed. A voice that had sent the weaker house's first years running when she spoke. The sixth year merely nodded and turned to face the other two first years sitting with Bellatrix.

"Bella, I wish to speak to you alone." his voice full of malice as the young boy and girl watched him with quiet interest.

Not moving her gaze from Lucius, Bellatrix dismissed her friends. With a warning from Adriana to tell them everything, they left leaving Bellatrix and Lucius alone.

"what is it you desire, Lucius?" Bella stood and moved to the ebony bookshelf, filled with leather-bound books. Her black and white striped stockings showed through the gap in her Hogwarts robes that always managed to look more...Slytherin on her than the rest of the house. "I have an essay for Professor Nurman and, unless you'd like to do it for me, I would appreciate this meeting to be short."

The few Slytherin's who were in earshot, stared at the youngest black sister in shock. No one, not even the ones in seventh year, spoke to Lucius Malfoy the way she did for fear of being hexed.

Lucius crossed to where the Slytherin was perusing the bookcase, as though ignoring him, and bent down to whisper in her ear. "_he_ wishes to see you."

A pleasurable chill ran through Bella's body as she realized the meaning of his words. "Me?" she turned and faced Lucius, a new light gleaming in her almost black eyes.

"if you would follow me." Lucius straightened up and swept out of the Common Room. Bellatrix followed, back straight, head up, stopping only to check her reflection in the gilded mirror above the fire. Her raven hair was in loose ringlets cascading down her back, her lips were a bloody red though she used no lipstick. There was an excited tinge to her pale cheeks which she despised. As she traced Lucius's footsteps, she worked on removing it, breathing evenly. _In. Out. In. Out. _

Lucius was leading her further into the dungeons, past the potions rooms, past the Slytherin Showers and Slughorn's Quarters, until he stopped at a tapestry depicting a sleeping serpent.

"pull out your wand." he instructed, and she removed the ebony and unicorn hair wand from the depths of her robes and tapped the material as per Lucius' directions. "the tapestry requires blood." he spoke, emptily, his words full of no meaning or emotion. With a grim nod she bent down and pulled a silver dagger out of the top of her stocking. She ignored Lucius' shocked expression and dipped the tip into her fore-arm, breaking the skin easily.

A tear-drop of blood ran down her wrist and she pressed it to the snake's mouth as Lucius ordered. She could fell the tongue of the serpent flick along her wrist, pulling the blood away from her skin. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation.

The snake hissed something unintelligible and moved to the side of his tapestry, revealing a door that he had been guarding. Lucius pushed in front of her and stepped in through the door first. She scowled at his retreating back and followed him down the corridor.

There was no light in the combined space and Bella loved it. She placed both hands against the walls either side of her and dragged her long nails along the wall, almost caressing the passage that _he_ had walked down.

As her eyes became accustomed to the dark, she spotted a green light flickering at the end of the corridor. A fire was burning at the dead end. Lucius stepped into it, not saying anything. Bella frowned but imitated him, simply walking into the green, flashing flames.

She spun through the flames, her eyes wide open as she spun out into another fireplace. She landed on her feet, just spinning on a heel of one of her black ankle boots.

She stepped out, scoffing at Lucius who was lying on the floor, apparently having fallen out of the fire-place.

"impressive." a ringing voice called out from the other side of the room and Bellatrix raised her eyes, taking in the room.

It looked like a larger version of her father's drawing room back at the manor. There were long, three-person black sofas and armchairs scattered around the room, almost all full with older students. The largest arm-chair was standing in front of the other fire in the room and occupied by the one who had just spoken.

Tom Riddle sat, his fingers interlocked as he watched the small first year regard him. His hair was as black as night and looked soft to touch. His pale face was almost expressionless, save for the traces of speculative praise that lingered in his emerald eyes for the still standing girl.

Bellatrix lifted her head high and walked closer, her eyes not moving from Tom Riddle's face.

"so, you're the famous Bellatrix Black who my spies have told me so much about?" he asked, his voice oddly ensnaring, drawing Bellatrix closer still, until she stood in front of his.

"yes. And you're the famous Tom Riddle that _my _spies have told _me _so much about?" she asked, a small smile playing on her face.

Narcissa Black stifled a gasp at her youngest sister's antics, worried as to what Riddle might do to her. But to her surprise, and everyone else's, Tom laughed. He closed his eyes and chuckled, opening them again to watch the odd first year.

"your spies?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Bellatrix smirked. "how else does a Slytherin discover information?" she questioned, watching the seventh year's reaction. An indulgent smile fell on his face.

"very true. And what have your spies told you?" he asked, trying to conceal his smirk.

"that you are as complex as your name. A riddle, impossible to figure out, except to those who are dedicated enough to try." she paced slowly in front of his, her gaze still not moving from Riddle's face. "yet no-one has tried. You still remain ... unsolved ... like a puzzle." she stopped, dead center, facing Tom. "and what do your spies say about me?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

All of Tom's followers were watching Bellatrix with a mix of shock and awe in their eyes. No one had ever spoken to him like her before. Yet Tom ignored them, his attention focused on Bellatrix. He stood and began to slowly circle the small girl.

"like myself, you are difficult to figure out. And also, like myself, you aren't afraid. You lust for power..." he bent and whispered in her ear. "...and pain." he straightened up and continued walking. "you care for nothing, don't fear the trouble you get into if you achieve your goals. You believe that the end justifies the means." he moved back to his chair and sat back down.

Bellatrix shook her head to clear it of his unintentionally seductive voice. "that's a lot of information." she said, slightly breathless. "I didn't realize that you had me followed." she accused, daring him to contradict him.

He shrugged, unrepentant. "your sister tells some tales of you. I became curious about the girl who's first accidental magic, not only happened the day she was born, but also sent a women to St. Mungo's." Bella flushed, turning her head slightly to glare at her sister. "no, no Bella, may I call you Bella? Bella, what your sister has told me, has intrigued me."

Bella's breath caught in her throat.

"Bella, you are... how old?" Tom asked.

"eleven." she said, her voice ringing clear.

"astounding. Bella, you described me as a riddle, a puzzle, am I one that you would be willing to crack?" he challenged. Bellatrix's eyes widened and her heartbeat began to race. Tom held out a lily white hand and she placed both her own inside. His dwarfed her own tiny palms.

"what are you doing Tom?" Narcissa called out from one of the chairs. His eyes moved from Bella's excited face to her sister's and narrowed.

"hush Narcissa!" He hissed before turning back to the youngest black sister. "you are...young, but not for long. Would you be willing to join us?" he asked, watching her face.

"join you?" Bellatrix whispered, her eyes alight with excitement. "when?"

Tom chuckled, "soon." he whispered and, using the leverage of her hands, pulled her closer. Their faces were level as he spoke again. "My. Evil. Angel." his lips brushed the edge of her ear, making her shiver. He let her hands fall and brushed her cheeks, almost softly, leaving a fiery trail along her skin. "Narcissa!" he called, still watching Bellatrix. "take Bella back to her dorms."

Bellatrix felt her sister's hands fall on her shoulders. Vice-like in her grip, Narcissa pulled her away from Tom. But Bellatrix just walked backwards, still trapped in Tom's gaze.

She stepped into the fire and spun away.

Released, though reluctantly, from Tom's stare, Bellatrix became her usual self again. She strode ahead of her sister, stepping gracefully out of the tapestry. The snake hissed at her again, though in a softer way ... more _Tom. _

"Bella," her sister's voice pulled her out of her daze. She turned to her sister, crossing her arms defiantly.

"yes?"

"I know what you're thinking, but don't fall for Tom. You have a long time until your ... services ... will be needed. Don't fall for him." Narcissa's face was serious as she surveyed the youngest black sister.

"Cissy, I chose what I do. Not our parents, not 'Dromeda and not you!" Bellatrix spun on her heel and stormed into the Common Room, muttering the password to the patch of stone wall.

She strode through the room, ignoring the younger first years that moved out of her way.

She collected her possessions from the table, calming herself as she did so. She slipped back into the daze Tom had created and headed up the staircase to the dorms where she knew Adriana would be waiting.

She wasn't disappointed.

Her friend sat waiting on her bed, already in her pajamas and her red bouncy curls pulled back into bunches.

"I met _him_," Bellatrix whispered, falling back onto her black silken sheets. She didn't hear Adriana's response for she fell into a deep sleep full of blissful dreams.

Snakes hissed seductive invitations to her, luring her to green fires where raven black hair and clouded green eyes waited for her.

When Bellatrix was eleven, she met Tom Riddle.

When Bellatrix was eleven, she fell for him.


End file.
